TCTI: Too Crazy To Ignore

They held a buyback, and a gun show broke out

Detectives from the Arson/Bomb Squad will notify the Army Criminal Investigation Division on Monday and see if they can determine through the serial number the status of this launch tube. (KIRO Radio Photo/Brandi Kruse)

There was a gun buyback over the weekend in Seattle - hundreds of weapons turned in, including three street-sweeper shotguns- which impressed the mayor.

"I think just looking at the name, 'Street-Sweeper,' says it all. That's not used for hunting deer," said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

And in return the police handed out Amazon.com gift cards but it wasn't just the police that were buying.

Private buyers showed up too - tempting the citizenry with cash.

"I'm going to sell to whoever gives me the most money, wouldn't you?" asked one citizen.

For the guntrepreneurs, buyback programs are a great opportunity: A large gathering of law abiding gun owners ready to dump their weapons and probably having no idea what their guns are worth on the open market.

The same thing has happened over the years at buybacks in Detroit, Cleveland, Tucson, Dallas, Austin - private buyers turning police buybacks into a demonstration of the gun show loophole.

In fact, at an Austin gun buyback two years ago, a group called Texans for Accountable Government took it a step further.

"And rather than destroy them, like the Austin Police Department plans to do - we might have put them in the hands of peaceful, law-abiding citizens who are in need of firearms and potentially can't afford them themselves," explained a TAG spokesman.

They would give the guns to poor people! Because they think buybacks are ridiculous.

"It makes about as much sense as turning in your beer to reduce DWI," said one Austin citizen.

Hmm - which would mean that a better way to reduce drunk driving would be to hand out free beer?